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Original Short Stories — Volume 03
Original Short Stories — Volume 03

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Original Short Stories — Volume 03 is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Original Short Stories — Volume 03
Context Illustration Reading 1/40 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
“'Listen.
I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.
I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.
I was as good as it is possible to be, monsieur.
“'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Original Short Stories — Volume 03

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of Original Short Stories — Volume 03 is here in full — 204 sentences across 41 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/40 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
“'Listen.
/ˈlɪsən/
Line 2
I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.
Line 3
I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.
/aɪ hæd ˈnevər dʌn ˈeni hɑːrm aɪ hæd ˈnevər kəˈmɪtɪd æn ˈiːvəl ækt/
Line 4
I was as good as it is possible to be, monsieur.
/aɪ wɑːz æz ɡʊd æz ɪt ɪz ˈpɑːsəbəl tuː biː məˈsjɜːr/
Line 5
“'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.
/aɪ ˈmerid ənd hæd ˈtʃɪldrən ənd aɪ lʌvd ðem æz noʊ ˈfɑːðər ɔːr ˈmʌðər ˈevər lʌvd ðer ˈtʃɪldrən/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

adoring adjective US /əˈdɔːrɪŋ/

showing adoration

From this reading “I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.”

committed adjective US /kəˈmɪtɪd/

bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude

From this reading “I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.”

executioner noun US /ˌeksəˈkjuːʃənər/

an official who inflicts capital punishment in pursuit of a warrant

From this reading “I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.”

governs verb US /ˈɡʌvərnz/

third-person singular of “govern” — bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations

From this reading “I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.”

murderer noun US /ˈmɜːrdərər/

a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)

From this reading “I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.”

robber noun US /ˈrɑːbər/

a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence

From this reading “I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.”

straightforward adjective US /ˈstreɪtˈfɔːrwərd/

free from ambiguity

From this reading “I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.”

teaches noun US /ˈtiːtʃəz/

plural of “teach” — an English pirate who operated in the Caribbean and off the Atlantic coast of North America (died in 1718)

From this reading “I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.”

All words in this reading · 51

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.

adoringadjectiveUS /əˈdɔːrɪŋ/

showing adoration

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading I was as good as it is possible to be, monsieur.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading I was as good as it is possible to be, monsieur.

childrennounUS /ˈtʃɪldrən/

plural of “child” — a young person of either sex

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

committedadjectiveUS /kəˈmɪtɪd/

bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude

From this reading I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.

doneadjectiveUS /dʌn/

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.

earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

evilnounUS /ˈiːvəl/

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.

executionernounUS /ˌeksəˈkjuːʃənər/

an official who inflicts capital punishment in pursuit of a warrant

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

falseadjectiveUS /fɔːls/

not in accordance with the fact or reality or actuality

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

FathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

governsverbUS /ˈɡʌvərnz/

third-person singular of “govern” — bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.

harmnounUS /hɑːrm/

any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.

From this reading I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.

honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnəst/

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I was as good as it is possible to be, monsieur.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I was as good as it is possible to be, monsieur.

ListenverbUS /ˈlɪsən/

hear with intention

From this reading “'Listen.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

lovedadjectiveUS /lʌvd/

held dear

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

marriedadjectiveUS /ˈmerid/

joined in matrimony

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

MasternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

monsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading I was as good as it is possible to be, monsieur.

mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

murderernounUS /ˈmɜːrdərər/

a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading I had never done any harm; I had never committed an evil act.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading I was as good as it is possible to be, monsieur.

pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

robbernounUS /ˈrɑːbər/

a thief who steals from someone by threatening violence

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

straightforwardadjectiveUS /ˈstreɪtˈfɔːrwərd/

free from ambiguity

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

teachesnounUS /ˈtiːtʃəz/

plural of “teach” — an English pirate who operated in the Caribbean and off the Atlantic coast of North America (died in 1718)

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading “'I married and had children, and I loved them as no father or mother ever loved their children.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading I was an honest, straightforward, pure man--adoring God--this good Father--this Master who teaches us to love, and not the false God, the executioner, the robber, the murderer who governs the earth.

Chapter 8 of Original Short Stories — Volume 03 by Guy de Maupassant holds 204 sentences, grouped into 41 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 8 of Original Short Stories — Volume 03 contain?

Chapter 8 holds 204 sentences of Original Short Stories — Volume 03, unabridged, divided into 41 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of Original Short Stories — Volume 03 by Guy de Maupassant exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 204 sentences, grouped into 41 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 8 of Original Short Stories — Volume 03?

Work through the 41 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 41 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Original Short Stories — Volume 03

Common questions about reading Original Short Stories — Volume 03 by Guy de Maupassant on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Original Short Stories — Volume 03?

Yes. All 2612 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3079 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Original Short Stories — Volume 03 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3079, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Original Short Stories — Volume 03 take to read?

About 217 minutes of reading across 523 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Original Short Stories — Volume 03 section by section

How to work through Original Short Stories — Volume 03 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 13 chapters of Original Short Stories — Volume 03 to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Original Short Stories — Volume 03

Words and structures a reader meets early in Original Short Stories — Volume 03, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Volume
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Original Short Stories — Volume 03; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seven
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Original Short Stories — Volume 03; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Women
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Original Short Stories — Volume 03; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Three
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Original Short Stories — Volume 03; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.